Greenland Sea Kayaking: Rockwell Kent Among the Inuit

Rockwell Kent, after one of his lengthy stays in Greenland, made this dramatic print of a Greenland sea kayak hunter. Note avataq on the kayaks aft deck, cased harpoon strapped to the kayak's starboard deck, harpoon line faking disk, and the hunter's tight-fitting tuliq. Note also the bone tipped and slender paddle in the hunter's right hand, and his sealskin pants and boots.

Other art by Ken of hunters shows that the tuliqs' color changed with the seasons: white for winter, dark for spring. Rockwell Kent spent nearly two yearsliving among the Inuit. during the 's and 's. In addition to his paintings and prints, he chronicled most of his experiences in his book Salamina.

In addition to numerous books and prints, Kent rendered many oil paintings in the field, painting with tools and canvases he lugged around on a sledge . He also etched related lithographs, such as the one above, in his New York studio after he returned home.

From Dan Burne Jones's book The Prints of Rockwell Kent. Kent also made films of the Inuit while he was in Greenland, including kayaking scenes and scenes of harvesting seals.

Other Greenland kayaking links: Duane Strokaser on making a carbon fiber greenland paddle; Dee Hall's router method for carving multiple Greenland paddles; Matt Johnson's free downloadable video on making Greenland paddles; and my video mashup of three Greenland kayaking strokes, compiled from KNR Greenland racing footage.